Left Menu
Development News Edition

Jailed Kremlin critic Navalny, on protest eve, says has no plans to commit suicide

The authorities have opened a criminal case into protest organisers, accused Navalny's allies of trying to illegally encourage minors to attend, and warned that attendees risk catching COVID-19. Navalny, in a message on Instagram via his lawyer, said he wanted people to know he was in good physical and mental health.

Reuters | Moscow | Updated: 22-01-2021 23:34 IST | Created: 22-01-2021 23:29 IST
Jailed Kremlin critic Navalny, on protest eve, says has no plans to commit suicide
File Photo Image Credit: ANI

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Friday he wanted it known that he had no plans to commit suicide in prison, as he issued a message of support to his followers on the eve of protests the authorities say are illegal.

Navalny was detained on Sunday after flying home for the first time since being poisoned with what the West says was a military-grade nerve agent that Navalny says was applied to his underpants by state security agents. The 44-year-old lawyer, in a Moscow prison pending the outcome of four legal matters he describes as trumped up, accuses President Vladimir Putin of ordering his attempted murder. Putin has dismissed that, alleging Navalny is part of a U.S.-backed dirty tricks campaign to discredit him.

Navalny's allies plan nationwide protests on Saturday to try to force the Kremlin to order his release. The authorities have opened a criminal case into protest organisers, accused Navalny's allies of trying to illegally encourage minors to attend, and warned that attendees risk catching COVID-19.

Navalny, in a message on Instagram via his lawyer, said he wanted people to know he was in good physical and mental health. "Just in case, I am announcing that I don't plan to either hang myself on a window grill or cut my veins or throat open with a sharpened spoon," the post said.

"I use the staircase very carefully. They measure my blood pressure every day and it's like a cosmonaut's so a sudden heart attack is ruled out. I know for a fact that there are many good people outside my prison and that help will come," he wrote. The authorities have made it clear they will crack down on Saturday's protests.

On Friday, Moscow courts sentenced Navalny's spokeswoman to nine days in jail, gave another ally 10 days, and fined another 250,000 roubles for what they said were illegal calls to attend the protests. Navalny supporters outside Moscow were also targeted and Russia said that TikTok and other social media had deleted what it called illegal posts promoting the protests.

Maria Zakharova, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, said on Facebook: "When minors are being invited to (political) meetings do not expect anything good. Because children are dragged into political battles when all other options are not working, which means that the ideologues of this process are ready to do anything to achieve their goals."

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


TRENDING

OPINION / BLOG / INTERVIEW

China: A savior for emerging markets or a poison pill?

... ...

Future of Urban Planning: Artificial Intelligence guiding the way

Advances in emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning can help us understand our cities better and derive useful insights from real-time data collected through automated models....

Videos

Latest News

Nagpur: 2 murders in 24 hours

In a span of 24 hours, a mankilled his uncle following an argument over dinner inPachpaoli area and a 35-year-old man was killed byunidentified persons in Old Shukrawari area, Nagpur policesaid on Friday.While in the first case, the accused...

Punjab CM announces jobs for kin of farmers who died during protests on Delhi borders

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday said his government will provide jobs to a family member of the 76 farmers who passed away during the protest against three farm laws on Delhi borders. Speaking during the 20th edition...

Chrishell Stause laughs off troll's comment over divorce with Justin Hartley

Hollywood actor Chrishell Stause shook off a trolls remark on social media with a witty response on Thursday local time, regarding her divorce from Justin Hartley. According to E News, the Selling Sunset star proved shes not going to let he...

Pfizer to supply 40M COVID-19 shots for poor countries

Pfizer on Friday committed to supply up to 40 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine this year to a World Health Organization-backed effort to get affordable shots to poor and middle-income countries.The deal is a boost to the global program...

Give Feedback